Austin, Texas

February 2012

Brian Peters, head brewer at Austin-based Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que, has been home brewing for almost 25 years, and he’s nowhere near done. Among his aspirations is a barrel room of sour beers and one dedicated to wild yeast.

At the moment, though, he focuses on black coffee ales that aren’t too bitter, hopped-up IPAs, and winter reds that keep a little sweetness, winning three Great American Beer Festival medals and one World Beer Cup medal along the way.

To the horror of some other local brewers, he blends his malts and, as he says, is “all over the place with what I make and drink.” But his core philosophy—that understanding yeast is what separates the good breweries from the bad—is immutable. “Great breweries have brewers that are confident enough to make what they are comfortable with,” he says.